Bail fastening or attaching means for lanterns and the like



Nov. 8, 1927.

R. A. CURRIE BAIL FASTENING OR ATTACHING MEANS FOR LANTERNS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 16. 1925 flo Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

, .noBEn'r A. CURBIE, or sznacnsn. roiitirlhssrenoa'ron. nnIrirZ oonrnnr, A 'ornnwyonigny.

BAIL FASTENING on errnonrne r ngers non unmanne AND rnn I E.

Application filed December 16, 1925. Serial No. 75,853.

This invention relates to fastenings 'or attaching means for the bails or handles of lanterns and the like, and more particularly to detachable'bail fastenings for signal lanterns of that kind in whichnieansare provided for holding the bail in upright position' rigid with thelantern frame,' sothat the lantern' will-not swing on th-ebail' and can be manipulated and held in different positions by means of the bail or handle; as

may be necessary for signalling purposes.

One of the obje'cts of the invention is'to provide desirable means and durable construction, wherebythe bail or handle is attached to the body ,or frame so as to be held rigidly in upright position, and a strong connection provided between the bail and the frame, while, nevertheless, the bail can be readily detached to enable the lantern to be packed in a smaller container, and so that an ordinary wire swingling bail can be substituted in place of .the'

stationary bail, :if "desired. V '7 Other objects of which 'will securely 1 but detachably fasten the bai'l'rigidly tothe I tion.

frame, and while permittingre'ady attach ment and detachment of the bail "-to and from the frame, are constructed sothat the @bail cannot be detachedqexcept by firstopening' the lantern top', thereby preventing either accidental or' int'e ntional detachment of the bail in the normal operative condition of the lantern; and lso to improve bail at- 't aching means in the other respectsherein- 'afterfclescribed and set forth in the claims. "In the accompanying drawings; T

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the up per portion of a lantern showlng' a detach- "able bail fastening embodying my inven- Fig." 2 is a si'mih r view showing the one side of the bail lantern top raised and i disconnected" fromthebail'ear.

3 is an enlarged side elevation o'fth-e bailfastening at one side of the lantern;

@Fig. 4 's a" fragmentary, longitudinal =secti'on" f" the lantern on line l l Fig. 3.

Fig; 5 i'sf a horizontal section thereof on line 55,}ri; .4.

ILFigQQfGKis a perspective view of one of the bail ears andthe upper portion of the frame .tiibe to which iti's attached;

of 7 simple, "strong.

the invention are to p'roend of the bail which engages the bail ear shown in Fig. '6. I

A represents the upper portion ofthe stationary frame of a signal lantern-"of known type; B the'hinged topof the lantern and C the lantern bail or-handlej Except with respect'to the bail attaching or; fasteningmeans, the lantern may beget known construction; and as usuallin' lanterns of this type; the top B is hinged at one slidefof the lantern to the top ring d of ztllje lantern frame s'o'as to-permit th e top tojswin g upwardly and. rearwardly from its operative securethe top in its closed, operative position.

side membersof the frame.

v The lantern shown isof the tubular type, the 'air' tubes 7 formingthe opposite lO represents bail ears Which-are formed on or rigidly.and permanently securechto the upper portionlofthe lantern-frame and project upwardly therefrom at the opposite 2' sides of the'circular base" flange ll'of the lantern top B'wlien the. topfi-s in its'mclosed,

operative position. Preferabl'y,ithe bailears con ist of sheetmetal stainpings which are of substantially channel or V sha'pe-in'cross section and have spaced lower wall portions -lO whi'c h embrace and are soldered or otherwise. rigidly secured to thefrarne tubes 7,

flaringupper ends. I These upwardly proj ectingportions ofthe bail ears are provided with openings 12 for'the reception. of attaching studs :13 on thel ower end portions of the 'baiLG. In-theconstruction shown,

the bail'is formed by a .benttube which is lightbut strong and rigid and form's-a 'hanand theportionsrofthe bail cars which pro- 7 ject'upwardlyatthe sides of the top'flange 11 are substantially upright withoutw'ardly dleofsubstantial diameterin crosss ction,

and the s tuds 13, are providedon sheet metal 'stampings or endfittings 14 which are secured to the opposite. lower ends of the bail i "tube. ll has'fa'n upper, tubular portion which en:

circles and is soldered orotherwiserigidly secured on the end of the bent bail tube, and

As shown, each of these endifittings i the portion of' thefittiiig which depends be:

111e,4reiapeeeeae new ar "We? can M v a the other with the stud 18 seated. in the 1 sheet metal stamping which extends through stud opening 12 in the bail ear. As shown, the stud 13 consists of a hollow or tubular and is rigidly secured in a hole 15 in the fitting 14, the stud preferably having at its inner end'fiang-es 16 whichbearagainst and are soldered'to the inner faces of the V-' shaped portion of the fitting 14. The end fittings 14 also preferably curve inwardly 35 from the ends ofthe bail tube to "cooperate with the flaring ends of the bail ears to facilitate the engagement ofthe'bail with thebail ears. g d

When the bail is in place or attached to 20 the lantern, the endfittings 14' seat or fit snugly in the upright grooves of the V- shaped bail ears 10, with thestuds 13 "projecting laterally through the openings'liz in the bail-ears, and the lower ends of the fittings '14 extend down between the spaced,

inwardly extending attaching portions 10 of the ears.- The lower ends of the bail are pressed firmly outwardly against the bail V ears by'the natural tendency of thelower ends of the bail 'to spring apart. Thus, the studs and openings 12, the interfitting channel shaped portions of the bail and bail ears,

."and the lower ends ofthebail depending between the attaching portions of the bailears all cooperate to hold the bail rigidly in its intended upright position and prevent any swinging or movement of the bail relative to the frame, so that the bail constitutes, a rigid, upright extension or handle of the lantern frame, permitting the lantern-to be held in any desired position by meansofthe-bail. The bail can be easily detached from the bail cars by springing in oneor both of the lower ends of the bail and liftingvthesame to disengage the bail studsandends from the bail ears; 1 This, however, can only be done-when the lantern "top B i is swung up out of its closed, operative position. dvhen the top is in its closed position, in which it is retained by the spring catch E, the circular base flange'of the top lies between and-close to the end: fittings of the bail, as shown in Figs. 1 and i, the flange of the top being soclose to the lower end portions of thevbail or end fittings that the latter cannot be sprung in- .wardly to disengage the studs 13 from the bail ears. When the top isopened, the bail, cars can be sprung inwardly and the bail readily disengaged from the bail ears,"b ut the bail cannot be accidentally or intentionallydisengaged, from the ears except by first 1 opening the top B. Thus, the'resilience or, tendency of'the bailends tospread apart is. not alone reliedupon tor'etainthe bail in connection with t e ea s, nd the bail cannot become detached by a weakening of the resilience or by inward pressure of the ends of the bail.

By reason of the described formation of the bail ears andthe cooperating ,end fittings on the bail, the bail is at all times, when in place, firmly and strongly secured to the lantern and held rigidly in upright position, but the construction nevertheless permits very easy and convenient disconnection of the bail from the lantern without the use of 7 the usual manner of connecting wire bails to objects, and thus a swinging bail for the lantern is readily provided when such may be desired. v v

I claim as my invention: I r 1. The combination with a lantern or the like having opposite bail ears provided with upright portions having stud openings therein, and with spaced inwardly projecting attaching walls below said openings, of a bail provided with lateral studs adapted to seat in said stud openings, and lower end portions which bear outwardly against said bail ears and extend downwardly between said attaching walls of the bail ears, whereby said .bail is detachably connected to said ears and held against fore and aft movement relative to said ears. I V V V V 2. The combination with a lantern'or the like having opposite bailears provided with upright portions of channel shaped cross section having stud openings therein, of a bail provided with lateral'studs' adapted to seat in said stud openings, and channel shaped lower end portions Which fit in and bear outwardly against said channel "shapedpor- I tions-of the bail ears below said stud openings,-whereby said bail is-detachably connected to said bail ears and is held against fore and aft movement relative to said; ears.

'3. The combination with a lantern or the likeliaving opposite bail ears provided with upright'portions of channel shaped cross section having stud openings therein, and with spaced inwardly projecting attachingwalls,

7 of a bail provided with lateral studs adapted to seat in said stud openings, and lower end portions which seat in said channel shaped portionsofthebail ears and extend downwardly between saidattaching walls of the bail ears, whereby said bail is: detachably connected to said ears and held against fore G and aft movement relative to said ears.

f4. The combination with a lantern orthe like having opposite bail ears provd'ed-with upright portions of channel shaped cross section, having stud openings therein, and with spaced inwardly projecting attaching walls,

of a bail provided with lateral studs adapted to seat in said stu'd openings, and channel shaped lower end portions which fit in said a channel shaped portions of the bail ears and extend downwardly between said attaching walls of the bail ears, whereby said bail is detachably connected to said ears and is held against fore and aft movement relative to like having a movable top, of bail ears ex said ears.

5. The combination with a lantern or the tending from said lantern and disposed at op- 'posite sides of said top and having stud openings, and a ball having studs removably seated in said stud openings, and lowerend portions whioh are disposed adjacent the sides of said top when the top is in operative-position, the sides ofsai'd top when in operative position being located so as to ob struct the movement of, the lower ends of the ,bail necessary to disengage said studs from said stud openings, thereby preventingthe disengagement of the bail from said bail ears. 7

6. The combination with a lantern or the like having a movable top, of bail ears extending froin said lantern at opposite sides of said top and having stud openings, and a bail having laterally projecting studs removably seated in said stud openings and having lower end portions which extend between said ears and the lantern top, the sides of said top when in operative position being located, so as to obstruct inward movement of the lower ends of the bail sufiicient to disengage'saidstuds from the stud openings.

7. The combination with a lantern or the like having a movable top, of bail ears on said lantern at opposite sides of saidtop,

and having uprightportions provided withstud openings, and spaced attaching portions below said openings, and a bail having lat eral studs removably' seated in said stud openings and end portions which depend between said attaching portions of the ears adjacent the sides of said top when the top is in its operative position, the sides of saidtop when in operative position being-located so as to obstruct inward movement of the lower ends of the bail sufficient to disengage said studs from said bail ears. I y a 8. The combination with a lantern or the like having bailears provided with stud openings, of a. bail provided with sheet metal end portions formed with stiffening bends and perforations, and studs secured to said end portions and adapted to enter the stud openings in said ears, said studs having-hob low'bodies extending through said perforations,'an'd attaching portions soldered to said bent end portions of the bail.

ROBERT A. GURRIE; i 

